After all the drama, it was funny to wake up the next day and start for the same place. To make up for the balance amount on our ticket. Ha-ha, no, we are not that crazy. Yes, we were heading to Sentosa once again. However, this time, the wonderful underwater creatures beckoned us.
SEA Aquarium:
From sharks to stingrays to dolphins to sea horses to clownfishes to coral reef, we got to see them all at such close quarters! It felt surreal to walk through a glass tunnel and see sharks swim above your head. It was like walking through an encyclopedia of aquatic animals, full of wonder and trivia.
R's injury changed a few things on our itinerary. A water park that had been planned after the aquarium visit had to be canceled. Thus, we had the entire day at disposal. We spent a good three hours leisurely strolling along, and clicking several pictures (this was me, of course). After a late lunch, we headed back home for a relaxed dinner. The next day was devoted to being around with some more animals.
Singapore Zoo and Night Safari:
SEA Aquarium:
From sharks to stingrays to dolphins to sea horses to clownfishes to coral reef, we got to see them all at such close quarters! It felt surreal to walk through a glass tunnel and see sharks swim above your head. It was like walking through an encyclopedia of aquatic animals, full of wonder and trivia.
R's injury changed a few things on our itinerary. A water park that had been planned after the aquarium visit had to be canceled. Thus, we had the entire day at disposal. We spent a good three hours leisurely strolling along, and clicking several pictures (this was me, of course). After a late lunch, we headed back home for a relaxed dinner. The next day was devoted to being around with some more animals.
The Zoo is large and requires 4-5 hours of time to cover it all at leisure. Since we've had our share of zoo visits, we decided to concentrate on the ones that we haven't seen elsewhere. Also, it made more sense to conserve time and energy for the night safari.
It was a warm day and we were being worn down by the humidity and all the walking. After a couple of determined hours by walk, we hopped on to the tram that takes you through a trail across the zoo. If you are ok to just skim through the sections you can keep riding, else you hop off at designated stops to explore at leisure. We rode past some parts and hopped off at sections that seemed interesting.
The husband badly wanted to see the "Arapaima" and "Polar bear", but unfortunately, these chose not to come out from their hideouts. We were as excited as the kids to see some rare-to-find-in-zoo species like the 'African painted' dog, 'Red river' hog, Komodo dragon, Koalas, and Kangaroos.
We were famished by evening and stopped at the restaurants outside to grab a quick bite. We also needed the break to re-energize before the safari began. The entrance to the night safari is just a few blocks away from the zoo. By the time we got done, a huge crowd had gathered to form a queue to enter the safari gates! We waited a bit to let the crowd dissipate and then entered. There were two trails: one that could be covered by foot and the other by the tram. After all the walking in the zoo, it was a no-brainer that we chose the latter option. But, what did we see? All the crowd had gone nowhere. They were now at the queue for the tram!
The serpentine queue moved rather slow or so we thought. We stifled yawns and tried to pep up the weary and antsy kids. Well, who could blame them? A long 45-minute later we got our tram. Almost immediately, all of us felt enthused to spot the animals in the dark. It was definitely a good idea to take the tram because a) we couldn't have possibly covered it by foot, and b) the audio guide on the tram fed us with interesting bits of trivia as we rolled on slowly through the animal habitats. Even though this was not a forest safari, it did not feel lame. The stillness of the night, the shadow-and-light effect created, and to see the animals prowl about freely, sometimes close enough to put out your hand and touch them, all of these added a thrill factor. Sleep and lethargy vanished into thin air, and we were recharged enough to enjoy a "creatures of the night" show after the safari.
Our stay at Singapore was drawing to a close with just a day more to go and that day was ear-marked for shopping. Yes, no trip is complete without shopping for knick-knacks and souvenirs.
However, the fun was not over. As the dialogue goes, "picture abhi baaki hai", we still had the Bali trip to look forward to.
It was a warm day and we were being worn down by the humidity and all the walking. After a couple of determined hours by walk, we hopped on to the tram that takes you through a trail across the zoo. If you are ok to just skim through the sections you can keep riding, else you hop off at designated stops to explore at leisure. We rode past some parts and hopped off at sections that seemed interesting.
The husband badly wanted to see the "Arapaima" and "Polar bear", but unfortunately, these chose not to come out from their hideouts. We were as excited as the kids to see some rare-to-find-in-zoo species like the 'African painted' dog, 'Red river' hog, Komodo dragon, Koalas, and Kangaroos.
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| The cat family's always a pleasure to capture, especially when one's striking a pose. |
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| That's the African painted dog |
The serpentine queue moved rather slow or so we thought. We stifled yawns and tried to pep up the weary and antsy kids. Well, who could blame them? A long 45-minute later we got our tram. Almost immediately, all of us felt enthused to spot the animals in the dark. It was definitely a good idea to take the tram because a) we couldn't have possibly covered it by foot, and b) the audio guide on the tram fed us with interesting bits of trivia as we rolled on slowly through the animal habitats. Even though this was not a forest safari, it did not feel lame. The stillness of the night, the shadow-and-light effect created, and to see the animals prowl about freely, sometimes close enough to put out your hand and touch them, all of these added a thrill factor. Sleep and lethargy vanished into thin air, and we were recharged enough to enjoy a "creatures of the night" show after the safari.
Our stay at Singapore was drawing to a close with just a day more to go and that day was ear-marked for shopping. Yes, no trip is complete without shopping for knick-knacks and souvenirs.
However, the fun was not over. As the dialogue goes, "picture abhi baaki hai", we still had the Bali trip to look forward to.
